


Tastes like you but sweeter

by breath_of_mine (tsundanire)



Category: Star Trek RPF
Genre: Birthday, Birthday Kiss, Cake, M/M, Pinto, Presents, Sweet 16, Zach's Birthday Bingo, best birthday ever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2016-06-03
Packaged: 2018-07-12 00:17:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7076647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsundanire/pseuds/breath_of_mine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zach is celebrating his 16th birthday with all his friends. Cake, presents, and good music all help set the perfect birthday mood. But as fun a party as it is, Zach can’t help but want something more from one of his guests in particular. Bingo prompts include: Cake, “Sweet 16”, “Best birthday ever”, and Birthday kiss.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tastes like you but sweeter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [zilia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zilia/gifts), [withinmelove](https://archiveofourown.org/users/withinmelove/gifts).



> This is my contribution for Zach's birthday bingo~ I was so excited to do a little thing and take a break from my larger work. 
> 
> I've never done this is dedicated to a few people. First to my dear Lyv~! You've been so patient with me while we edit the other fic. I cannot thank you enough for your help, your patience, and your kindness. 
> 
> And to the Dr Z~! You were having a rough week of it, and I'm glad to hear that you are doing better. Thank you for being a good friend to me, and for overloading my brain with sexy Avengers. Cheers to you~!
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys this as much as I enjoyed writing it

 

 

 

“Hey Zach! My mom said I can only stay till 10 p.m. … Is that okay?” One of Zach’s friends grinned at him while handing off a gift.

 

“Yeah no problem! We are just about to get started with gifts in a second.”

 

Zach took the gift and brought it to the living room where the rest of his friends had assembled.

 

The little pile on the floor had grown by at least two after the arrival of two of his other friends. And while Zach was about to get started opening them, most of the boys were focused on Zach’s brother’s game system.

 

Last year, the brothers had received a Sega genesis, as a joint birthday gift,  as well as a few games. Of course, all Zach’s friends were completely enthralled by the machine, taking turns playing the new “Sonic the Hedgehog” game that Joe and Zach got for Christmas.

 

Zach settled onto the floor with the group, somewhere between Joe, and Zach’s newer friend Chris.

 

Chris and Zach had a few classes together, namely drama and English, and found that they had many things in common. It was the basis of the kind of deep friendship other people could only dream of. But there were other factors therein that Zach had not expected.

 

Chris wasn’t as popular as Zach was -if you could even call Zach popular- but he made up for it by being genuinely kind, helpful, and well… quite the brain. It was those kinds of traits that Zach often found rather attractive in a potential partner. Zach's "popularity” came from his stage presence, whereas Chris was the quiet loner, a bit soft everywhere (which Zach found strangely adorable), and always carried around some kind of leather bound notebook. Zach later discovered that this was filled with endless poetry and other writings.

 

“Hey, open my gift later okay?” Chris whispered conspiratorially into Zach’s ear, then leaned back with a cheshire grin.  

 

Zach felt the tips of his ears warm, even though it was stupid to think that Chris got him anything other than a book. Not that he didn’t absolutely adore the books that Chris got him…. That kid just seemed to get him, on a different level than everyone else. Nodding, Zach put Chris’ small, perfectly wrapped gift to the side, making a mental note to bring it upstairs to his room when everyone was busy.

 

That moment turned out to be ten minutes after he’d finished opening his other gifts, and his mom called everyone to the kitchen for cake. Chris’ gift had been hidden beneath mountains of wrapping paper, and thus wasn’t forced to open it in front of everyone else.

 

Instead he quickly ran upstairs, claiming that he spilled some juice on his shirt and needed to change. The gift was stored beneath his pillow, and a new shirt pulled on just in case anyone called him on his “going upstairs” bull.

 

 

 

Back downstairs, it seemed like everyone was busy passing around small places of cake squares, slathered in rich buttercream icing.

 

“Take your plates outside boys! I don’t want any of that mess in here!” Zach’s mom shuffled them all out to the patio, where she’d set up benches around a plastic table. She’d left the family’s smaller radio on for them to enjoy while they soaked up the sun.

 

Half the boys wolfed down their cakes and started play fighting -as boys tend to do- while the other half ate their pieces slower, and sat around chit chattering.

 

Chris was tucked into the end seat of one of the benches, his right side pressed against the side of the house. Zach had taken the seat next to him as if it were always his place to be at Chris’ side. Their conversation soon blocked out everything else that was happening around them, including some of the boys being picked up by their families.

 

Some of his friends would come over and offer a handshake or high-five, then head off. But apart from those two seconds of diversion, Zach’s attention never left Chris. It was also lucky that Chris lived down the road (within walking distance) and came over fairly often, which was why Zach’s mother was hardly surprised to see them still talking out in the backyard, long after the party was over.

 

The sky was darkening and the air slightly chilled. Chris was holding his stomach while he laughed harder than he ever had, all the while Zach recounted the time Joe thought he’d lost his shoes while trying new ones on at the mall.

 

“But of course, I’d already run out of the store with them at this point!” Zach was laughing just as hard, trying to breath while still telling the story.

 

“Oh man, I would have loved to have seen his face when he figured it out.” Chris took big gulps of air, trying to calm himself.

 

Zach’s mom peaked her head out again, a tender smile for her son and his friend. “Chris you staying for dinner?”

 

Chris, who was still laughing, pulled himself together long enough to deny her invitation.

 

“Thanks Mrs. Quinto, but no. My parents are expecting me home before they go out for the night.” He gave her a flash of that charming smile, Zach had since dubbed “that Hollywood sunshine”. It stung Zach a little on the inside every time Chris flashed it at girls politely, as if he didn’t have a clue to it’s worth… how much it would mean to Zach to have that smile flashed his way.

 

They both got up, slowly, stretching once they got to their feet. Both of them still trying to absorb the other’s presence before Chris had to leave.

 

“I’ll call you once they’re gone.” Chris offered a shy smile, placing one hand on Zach’s broad shoulder.

 

“Hmm?” Zach had been staring into those stunning blue eyes, not really listening to the actual words coming out of Chris’ mouth.

 

“Tonight?” Chris laughed. “Phone call? When my parents are out of the house? I’m going to be bored out of my mind.” Again, there was that Cheshire grin.

 

“Oh, yeah. Should be fine. I’ll answer from my room.”

 

Zach nearly barreled over Chris, who’d stopped rather suddenly.

 

“Um, hang on. I… I think I left something over there?” Chris pointed towards the big tree in Zach’s backyard. But it was odd because… they hadn’t been over there today.

 

Still he trailed behind the slightly shorter male, curious as to what they was looking for, when Chris disappeared behind the massive trunk of the tree.

 

Zach quickened his pace to follow, but it was fairly dark at this point, and there wasn’t much light further back where the tree was. But he needn’t have worried, as the second he crossed beside the tree, a strong pair of arms pulled him out of sight from the house.

 

Chris was smiling shyly up at him, and those arms of his hadn’t let go yet either. Not that Zach would complain in the least… this was the exact kind of position he’d always dreamed of being in since the day he’d first met Chris.

 

But it still held a tinge of confusion for Zach, as he’d never even considered the possibility of Chris feeling the same way.

 

And yet here they were, Chris’ arms sliding down to grab the belt loops on Zach’s jeans.

“You just gonna stand there in shock, or what?” Chris murmured. There was a quiver in his voice that said he was trying his best to be brave, given the circumstances. With a clumsy maneuver, Zach raised his arms and placed them on Chris’ shoulders. It took (what felt like) an eternity for those hands to find their way behind Chris’ head.

 

Zach’s lengthy fingers slid through the mop of silky hair before him, taking the time to memorize the feel of it. Who even knew if this was a one-time thing?

 

“You know, we don’t nearly have as long as you seem to think we do…” Chris chuckled. “I have to get going, and you’re mom is going to get really suspicious if she looks out the window and doesn’t see us. We can only pretend to be looking for stuff for so lo-MMF!”

 

Zach surged forward and slammed their lips together, in what could be considered one of the most awkward first kisses ever. Too much teeth, a strange feel of tongue at the wrong times, and panicked breathing. At first Zach had lunged forward out of panic and desperation, but now he was regretting rushing things. Sure, Chris was right and they didn’t have a lot of time, but there had been time for moving a bit more tenderly.

 

Pulling away, Zach internally winced and wondered if he’d actually managed to blow it before he’d even really gotten a shot. But there was a tender, if not amused, look on Chris’ face that said maybe he hadn’t ruined things after all…

 

“Here, let me…” And just like that, Chris was in control, leading them into a kiss far gentler and profoundly more meaningful. It was almost like… coming home, like they’d done this thousands of times before. Their lips knew exactly how to move, just as soon as they got the rhythm going.

 

 

 

It was later that Zach finally fell in bed, showered, changed into pajamas, and waiting for Chris’ call, that he remembered the one gift he’d yet to open. The day had been filled with so much excitement that the thought had completely slipped his mind. It made Zach realize that in his 16 years so far, this was easily the best birthday he’d had thus far… and it was without question due to Chris’ presence.

 

The knowledge that it was a gift from Chris was exciting on it’s own, but the fact that he’d made Zach wait to open it in private…? It left all kinds of ideas in Zach’s mind. And that was already after their extremely intense kiss.... A kiss that he would be thinking about for quite some time.

 

Wrapping paper crinkled in his hands, as he pulled the tape off gently. A box lay beneath the layer of paper, and a letter taped to it. He ripped it open with eager hands, and brought the paper to his face, taking in the woodsy smell of Chris.

 

Slowly he opened up the folded paper and read:

 

_Happy Birthday Zachary,_

 

_You can’t see me, but I’m laughing because I know you hate it when I use your full name. Anyways, I just want you to know that it’s been really fun getting to know you! I’ve never had someone I’ve ever been so close to, share this much of myself with. I hope I had the courage to share that with you tonight, and just in case I chickened out… I’m writing it here too._

 

_Zach, I really like you… I mean really like you. I think about you every night before I fall asleep. I think about your laugh, and how you always quirk your lips when you are trying to hide your smile. I love that most of those smiles these days are for me. Don’t think I haven’t noticed. _

 

_I just want you to know that no matter what you decide, or feel, I will always be your friend._

 

_Love always,_

_Christopher Whitelaw Pine_

 

_P.S. I hope you enjoy your gift. I hope (if it’s not to bold to ask) you think of me when you use it._

 

The letter was read several times, before being placed on the bed beside him. Zach took a deep breath and opened the box. Inside was something so inconspicuous, and yet for Zach it sent a red blaze across his cheeks.

 

Inside the box lay a small gel filled cylinder in blue. There were little fish patterns and glitter inside the gel, proclaiming for all who saw it that it was indeed a children’s toy. 'Water snake wigglies' was what they were called, and even the name gave Zach a case of the snickers. Chris and Zach had heard from a few of the guys that this toy had become...useful in their search for pleasure. And here Chris had gifted him with something to help “relieve” Zach in even the most stressful situations.

 

A deeper meaning rooted itself in Zach’s brain, as he considered what it would mean to have Chris buy this for him. Was he thinking about Zach using this? Did he want to watch? Or even listen?

 

The phone call… that explained why Chris wanted to call tonight.

 

***RING***

  
 


End file.
